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Big Data – A Necessity In The Times of IoT (Internet of Things)

Big Data and Internet of Things are two heavy-weight words that have caught the nerve of enterprises. But, what are they? How can these concepts change the way enterprises function and people communicate? There is no doubt that Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way the world is functioning, but the pertinent question at this point of time is, can these two entities function together? Is big data solution a necessity in the times of IoT? Let’s try to find an answer to these through some logical reasoning.

How Big Data and IoT Are Interconnected?

Let’s start by understanding Big Data and IoT concepts.

Big Data

Data that’s very large and complex are termed in modern parlance as big data. Such data are so humungous that processing those using traditional applications is inadequate and hence help is often taken from big data consultant.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Every physical object in this world will get interconnected with the help of electronic chips, software, sensors and also Internet. This will give rise to a network of physical objects being interconnected with each other, enabling enterprises to collect and process relevant data.
Both Big Data and IoT seem to suggest the same thing, yet they are different. How? Let’s take look at them with the help of examples.
There are 1.4 billion Facebook users (as of 2015) who are generating 1.8 million Facebook likes every minute. Similarly, 316 million Twitter users (as of 2015) are sending and receiving 278 thousand tweet every minute. Is this an example of IoT or Big Data? In both these instances, we are looking at huge Internet-related data – yes, data which means that this is an example of Big Data.
Let’s try with another example. As of 2011, 12 million RFID tags, which are used to capture data in the physical world and track their movement, were sold. It is estimated that this number will go up by 2021 to 209 billion. Again, are we talking about IoT or Big Data? In this case, we are talking about IoT because here we are dealing with matters of connecting the physical world with sensors for tracking.
Now, if we look at both these examples (without the answers) we will find them to be similar. That’s because IoT and Big Data are similar in several ways. When we are talking about interconnecting the physical world to better understand how products and services are purchased and used, we are invariably looking at large amount of data. If we are to over-simplify things, we can say that both IoT and Big Data essentially deal with data and hence their roles and functions overlap.
IoT is no longer a futuristic dream but a reality we all are living in. Once every physical object gets connected through IP addresses, enterprises will have large amount of data to process, and that’s where Big Data will become indispensable.
Semaphore Software has both experience and expertise in dealing with Internet of Things and Big Data solutions. Get in touch with us via info@semaphore-software.com with your enquiry and solution requirements.